The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-30
MEXICAN POLITICS.
a Country Whose Affairs Are Managed by
Q Little Clique Of Leaders,.

but the city is not only the capital. it
is the center of all the political life Of
the republic. For in all outward forms
this is a Federal republic. The city and
Its envirous form the Federal district
in the State of Mexico. Besides this
State there are twenty-six other States.
each with its Governor and local Leg
islature, its system of schools. The
Federal constitution is q model IN
there is all the machinery Of Il republic
a government. two elected Houses, &
President popularity chosen for a term
Of six years. who is ineligible again
until q term has interviewed. But the
President is in fact elected by agree
ment among a knot Of leaders. and the
Office is a matter Of arrangement. bar
gained for usually q long time in the
future. Every Governor Of a State is
practically dictated by this little ~jaunta
at the capital; and every officer, even
to mayors Of cities, is so chosen. 1t is
the most purely personal government
in the world. Whatever elective forms
are gone through with, this'is the fact.
When the first term of Diaz expired
Gonzales came in by arrangement;
when the latter retired it was to a Gov
e%rnorship. Diaz has a predominance
of Indian blood, Gonzales of Spanish.
In his first term Diaz took an en-
lightened view of the needs Of Mexico
and its external relations. He invited
capital and promoted railways by lib
eral subsidies. The railways were
built; the subsidies have not been paid.
The country was infested with brig
ands. These brigands We're not In
dams, but of the mixed Spanish rae
who had possessions, and took to
the highways only on occasion. or when
the country was politically disturbed.
Vigorous efforts were made to suppress
this by the government. Gonzales had
the reputation of being the head OF
these quasi brigands. When he came
into power brigandage was still more
effectively suppressed. People say that
his method was to put all the brigands
in office, make them Governors, mayors
and high district officials, where they
could make more than by intercepting
caravans, stopping diligcnccs and
carrying off owners of haciendas.
And it is universally believed in Mexico
that Gonzales, in his term Of four years,
saved out of his salary between twelve
and eighteen millions of dollars,
which is now we'll invested. These
leaders are astutc diplomatists. as
wary and AS supple and subtle as
the Turks. Whoever makes q treaty
with them is likely to be confused by
the result, Whoever invests money in
Mexico, either in public works or in
private enterprise, does so at his risk.
ANY basis of confidence is wanting in
business. The Mexicans do not trus,
each other. They always seem sur
prised when = %foreignerdoes as he said
he would do. The moral condition is
something like that of Egypt The at
mosphere of Egypt is one of universal
lying. W. who are accustomed to do
business on universal faith-the pre-
sumption being that n nan is honest
until the contrary is proved-.can no:
understand a social state. where the
contrary is the assumption.
One can readily grant to Diaz patri'
otto intentions, and the desire to have
Mexico take an honorable place in the
world; but justice is not had priceless
in the courts--the officials are
all serving their W interests,
and official corruption is uni
versal. And yet travel is now
safe, public order is maintained, and
there is marked progress in education.
Still. whatever the Government is,
there is no public opinion, nc
general comprehension OF political
action. no really representative gov.
eminent or representative election.
There are few newspapers, the people
arc not informed. and the mass of them
are Indifferent so long as they are per-
sonaly not disturbed. In only one
case (thc action of the Congress in re-
gard to the English debt-action
promoted by u determined demonstra-
ton of the students Of the city, has
there been any sign Of the independ'
ence Of the Legislature. Mexico re.
mains, in effect, \ personal govern
ment with no political public. I am
making no sweeping declaration as te
the character of the mongrel popula
ton; 1t has its good points. -Marle,
Dudley Warner. in Harpcr's Magazine,
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